Direct Animal Care

Our shelter’s daily operations require a great deal of work. In-shelter volunteering involves direct animal care: the feeding, cleaning, and socialization of our cats, dogs, and small animals.  If in-shelter volunteering is something that interests you, be prepared to perform a variety of different tasks. This is a good way to spend time directly with the animals and make the small contributions that make their lives a little sweeter. Something as simple as talking quietly with a nervous rabbit could make the difference between them learning to trust people and hiding at the back of their cage when potential adopters come to look at them.

Direct Animal Care

CAT CARE TEAM  Volunteers assist with cleaning cat cages and litter boxes, feeding cats, and spending some time to socialize with the cats to help them feel more comfortable here in the shelter while they wait for their forever homes. All cat team volunteers must complete our basic cat care training.

SMALL ANIMAL CARE TEAM  Volunteers on the small animal team assist with cleaning cages and feeding the small animals, checking water, and spending some time socializing with the small animals as appropriate. All small animal team members must complete our small animal care training.

DOG WALKERS  Our shelter dogs need to be walked several times each day both for bathroom breaks and to help them use up some of their energy and have a break from their kennels. Dog walk volunteers take the dogs for 20-40 minute walks around the area surrounding the shelter. All dog walkers must complete our dog walker training.

GENERAL SHELTER HELP  Volunteers do a variety of in-shelter tasks including washing food dishes, doing laundry, sweeping, mopping, restocking supplies in the animal care rooms, and inventorying donated items.  No additional training is required.

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS for Direct Animal Care Positions:

• We require a minimum 6-month commitment to the shelter.
• Depending on the position, we request a minimum of 4 shifts per month.
• All volunteers must attend orientation and complete training in the animal care area(s) they will be volunteering.
• Volunteers ages 14-15 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 21 during their volunteer shifts. This person must also attend orientation and all applicable trainings.
• All scheduling is done online through our scheduling software Volgistics. Volunteers must sign up for their shifts in advance. Because we are a busy and fast-paced animal shelter, we are not able to accommodate walk-ins.
• A one-time $10 donation is suggested at the time of your orientation. This donation helps us to offset the cost of administering the volunteer program.

We are happy to sign off on volunteer hours needed for graduation requirements however it is against our policy to accept volunteers seeking to fulfill court-ordered community service.

Getting Started:

• After you’ve reviewed the requirements for volunteering, the next step toward becoming a volunteer is to submit an application.
• Applications are required for all volunteers. This includes parents supervising children less than 16 years of age and caregivers with clients.
• Approved applicants are invited to attend an orientation. Orientation will provide you with an overview of the PMHS volunteer program and will give you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have.